Artificial Gravity

From Gwn

Gravity is essential for functioning human beings in any environment. While the gravitational forces on some planets, like Mars, are weaker than the Earth standard (1 G), the small amount of force has proven enough for proper survival with a cocktail of drugs and suppliments. While in space, however, zero-gravity creates harm to human physiology. The solution has been simulating gravity in zero-gravity conditions.

Rotation

A rotating chamber produces the feeling of gravity on its inside hull. The rotation drives any object inside the spacecraft toward the hull thereby giving the appearance of a gravitational pull directed outward. This is due to centrifugal force, the "pull" is actually a manifestation of the objects inside the chamber attempting to travel in a straight line due to inertia. The chamber's hull provides the centripetal force required for the objects to travel in a circle, since if they continued in a straight line they would leave the chamber's confines. The gravity felt by the object inside the chamber is simply the reaction force of the object on the hull reacting to the centripetal force of the hull on the object, in accordance with Newton's Third Law.

Artificial gravity by rotation has the following side effects:

• The effect produced by rotation could cause dizziness, nausea and disorientation. Slower rates of rotation reduce the forces and its effects. 2 RPM or less gives no adverse effects, and at higher rates some people can become accustomed while some do not. At rates above 7rpm few people can become accustomed.
• Artificial gravity levels vary proportionately with the distance from the center of rotation. With a small radius of rotation the amount of gravity felt at one's head would be significantly different from the amount felt at one's feet. Movement and changing body position can result in an awkward feeling. Slower rotations or larger rotational radii do not lead to such a problem.

Colonizing

TBA

Earth's Moon

When people wanted to colonize the moon, one key factor that limited continued human presence. Gravity.

While artificial gravity on colonies and in rotational chambers in space ships provided relief in long term space habitation, there was never a viable solution on the moon that would necessitate the construction of any form of gravity. Because of the lack of a solution, the moon remained mostly barren. Only a few mining colonies and science stations remained on the floating moon, mimicking Antarctica on the Earth.